Bicycle-pedal



(No Model.) Y

C. BIGKEL. BICYCLE PEDAL.

No. 601,607. Patented Mar.29,1898.

jiucg.,

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcEs CASPER BICKEL, OF SHELBURNE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS.

BICYCLE-PEDAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NQ. 601,607, dated March 29, 1898.` Application filed July 24, 1897. Serial No. 645,331. No model.) APatented in England December 18, 1897, No. 30,033.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CASPER BICKEL, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Shelburne Falls, in the county-of Franklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycle-Pedals, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 30,033, bearing date December 1S, 1897;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to bicycle-pedals; and the object is to simplify the construction and arrangement of parts, reduce the number of parts to the minimum, and reduce the cost of manufacture of an effective and durable pedal.

The matter constituting my invention will be defined in the claim.

Iwill now describe the details of construction by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- 'i Figure l represents a top plan view of my improved pedal. Fig. 2 represents a crosssection of the pedal on line @c 0c, Fig. l. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section on line @j y, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a perspective View.

The pedal A is constructed of very few parts and preferably of only six parts-viz., a band forming the tread, two transverse braces, two bearing-caps fitting in sockets in said braces, and a straight spindle having annular grooves for the balls, the openings in the braces and caps being of the same size and all of them closely fitting the spindle to exclude dust, but permitting free working of the parts.

The simplicity of construction, small number of parts, and the strength and durability of the finished pedal are distinguishing features of my invention.

The straight cylindrical crank-pin or spindle C is provided with an inner screw-threaded end c for connecting it to the crank in the usual manner, and is also provided near its opposite ends with the circular grooves c to form bearings or runways for the antifrctionballs. The frame is preferably composed of a single sheet-metal band B, open at the inner end and curved at the outer end, as shown in t-he drawings. The frame B may be finished at the edges with teeth or in any other desired manner to form a suitable foot-tread. The opposite sides of the frame B are connected by two transverse braces D D', which are preferably riveted to the bands at d CZ. The braces have iiat sides, but are provided each with a central enlargement, extending above and below, containing a screw-threaded socket d', extending to a depth of one-half to three-fourths of the thickness of the brace,

as shown in Fig. 3; also, with a central opening concentric with the socket for the passage of the spindle C. It will be .noted that the socket d/ is annular and that the central opening passes entirely through the brace.

In order to provide a suitable bearing for the spindle C, I use the annular screwthread ed caps E, each having a central opening e and an annularsocket or recess e. The caps E are externally screw-threaded at e for engaging with a screw-threaded socket d in the braces D D'. The central openings in the braces and the central openings e in the caps are of the same size or diameter, and all of them closely embrace the straight spindle, but permit it to freely Work in them, so as to as nearly as possible exclude all dust without the use of other devices. The screw-threaded sockets d' and the screw-threaded bearing' caps E are of the same size in both braces. All of said openings can therefore be bored or otherwise formed by the same tool. The sockets in both braces can be bored or otherwise formed by one tool, and a single tool also serves for cutting the threads on both bearing-caps. By this simplicity and uni-I formity of construction the expense of manufacture is greatly reduced, the bearing-caps can be interchangeably used in either brace of any pedal, and by reason of the small number of similar parts they can be quickly and economically assembled to produce a finished pedal. There are, in fact, but four different parts, excepting the balls, in each pedal, since the two braces are the same in size and shape, being interchangeable, andthe two bearing-caps are the same in size and shape and can be used interchangeably. .The simple straight spindle, free from abutments or shoulders, facilitates the assembling and interchangeable use of the parts.

The frame B and braces D D having been riveted together`,the spindle C may be inserted through the central opening in the braces, so that the grooves c. shall be within the sockets CZ'. Then the balls f are placed in the grooves c', and the annularcaps E arev slid over the spindle and screwed into their sockets d. The screw-caps E hold the balls in position, serve as a substantial bearing therefor, and exclude the dust. It will be observed that the sockets d and the caps E are in the opposite sides of the two bracesD D.H Since thevballs fit in theannular grooves c and are closely embraced by the annular caps E, the pedal is held upon the spindle until the caps are unscrewe'd froml their sockets.

AThe construction is so simple and strong that therel is little liability of the parts get'- ting out of order', and if repair should be required it can be made at a small eX'per'xse.`

Havingy described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

A' pedal comprising in its construct-ion' the' straight spindle or crank-pin, having near its opposite ends the annular grooves c', c', the

two braces D, D', each having a central opening for the spindle and an annular screwthreaded socket extending partly through it, screw-'threaded bearing-caps of the saine size, each having a central opening, and an annular socket or recess engaging with the sockets in saidbraces, said openings in the two braces and the two caps being of the sanne diameter and substantially the diameter of the spindle, buty permitting free Working of the parts, for excluding dust from the bearings, and said sockets in the braces being also of the same di- 

